The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices and, more particularly, to medical monitoring devices.
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In the field of medicine, doctors often desire to monitor certain physiological characteristics of their patients. Accordingly, a wide variety of devices have been developed for monitoring physiological characteristics. Such devices provide doctors and other healthcare personnel with the information they need to provide the best possible healthcare for their patients. As a result, such monitoring devices have become an indispensable part of modern medicine.
One technique for monitoring certain physiological characteristics of a patient is commonly referred to as pulse oximetry, and the devices built based upon pulse oximetry techniques are commonly referred to as pulse oximeters. Pulse oximetry may be used to measure various blood flow characteristics, such as the blood-oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in arterial blood, the volume of individual blood pulsations supplying the tissue, and/or the rate of blood pulsations corresponding to each heartbeat of a patient.
Pulse oximeters typically utilize a non-invasive sensor that is placed on or against a patient's tissue that is well perfused with blood, such as a patient's finger, toe, forehead or earlobe. The pulse oximeter sensor emits light and photoelectrically senses the absorption and/or scattering of the light after passage through the perfused tissue. The data collected by the sensor may then be used to calculate one or more of the above physiological characteristics based upon the absorption or scattering of the light. More specifically, the emitted light is typically selected to be of one or more wavelengths that are absorbed or scattered in an amount related to the presence of oxygenated versus de-oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood. The amount of light absorbed and/or scattered may then be used to estimate the amount of the oxygen in the tissue using various algorithms.
Pulse oximeters and other medical devices are typically mounted on stands that are positioned around a patient's bed or around an operating room table. When a caregiver desires to command the medical device (e.g., program, configure, and so-forth), the caregiver may manipulate controls or push buttons on the monitoring device itself. The monitoring device typically provides results or responses to commands on a Liquid Crystal Display (“LCD”) screen mounted in an externally visible position on the medical device. Patient data, alerts, and other information may be displayed on the monitor directly, or may be transmitted to a central computer monitored by caregivers.
This conventional configuration, however, may have several disadvantages, particularly in emergency situations which may occur remotely from a hospital or medical environment. For example, conventional monitors are too heavy and bulky to be worn or constantly moved around to follow a patient. Additionally, in emergency situations, a convenient power supply may not be readily available, and the time required to set up the monitoring system may not be available considering other pressing emergency needs of the patient. The lack of time or a convenient power source may be particularly problematic in large scale emergencies wherein several patients require prompt medical treatment from limited medical personnel working with limited resources. Additionally, the bulk and expense of conventional monitors may make it logistically and economically unfeasible to have large numbers of such monitors on-hand and ready to be transported to emergency sites. It may be desirable, therefore, to have a pulse oximeter that is small, lightweight, inexpensive and battery operated, such that it can be worn by a patient and possibly disposed of after a single use.